Veteran outfielder Son Ah-seop, 38, who ranks third in KBO League history for career hits, has been released by the Doosan Bears. Once a record-breaking hitter in the KBO, Son's future in professional baseball is uncertain after leaving the team just six months after his transfer.
On October 19, Doosan announced that Son Ah-seop and 10 other players would not be re-signed. The release list includes pitchers Kim Myung-sin, Kim Ji-yoon, Park Kang-min, Jang Woo-jin, Lee Gi-seok, and Baek Seung-woo, as well as infielders Kim Min-hyuk, Lee Jong-hyuk, and Ji Kang-hyuk, and outfielder Yang Hyun-jin.
Son began his professional career with the Lotte Giants in 2007 and quickly established himself as one of the top hitters in the KBO League. In December 2021, he signed a four-year contract worth 6.4 billion won with the NC Dinos after becoming a free agent. In 2023, he played 140 games and won the batting title with a .339 average.
In June 2024, he recorded his 2,505th career hit, surpassing Park Yong-taek's previous record of 2,504 hits to set a new KBO League milestone.
In July 2025, he was traded to the Hanwha Eagles as they aimed for a championship, finishing that season with a .288 batting average. After the season, he became a free agent again, but with Hanwha acquiring Kang Baek-ho and re-signing foreign hitter Jonathan Peraza, Son's opportunities diminished. He eventually re-signed with Hanwha in early February for one year at 100 million won. Although he was included in the opening roster, he played only one at-bat before being sent down to the minor leagues.
In April of this year, he returned to Doosan, which acquired him by sending pitcher Lee Kyo-hoon and 150 million won to Hanwha to bolster their lineup.
Son hit a home run on his first day with Doosan, showing potential for a comeback, but struggled afterward, frequently moving between the majors and minors. As the season progressed, his opportunities in the first team decreased, and although he was named to the roster for the wild card playoff against the LG Twins on October 14, he did not play. This season, he recorded a .236 batting average in 54 major league games, leading to his release just six months after being traded.
Son Ah-seop is a prominent figure in the KBO League, having played 2,223 games with a .318 batting average and 2,655 hits. He held the record for most hits until May of this year when he was surpassed by Samsung Lions' Choi Hyung-woo and later by KT Wiz's Kim Hyun-soo. Currently, Choi leads with 2,734 hits, followed by Kim with 2,691, placing Son third all-time.
Son had been aiming to become the first player in KBO history to reach 3,000 hits, but his release raises doubts about achieving that goal. He is 345 hits away from the milestone. If he does not find a new team, his career, which began in 2007, and his pursuit of this record may come to an end.
Meanwhile, Doosan has also appointed Jung Jae-hoon as the new general manager, indicating a restructuring of the team's management. It remains to be seen how Doosan will reshape its roster for the upcoming season.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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